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Psalm 95

Visualize the worship leader standing before the people of God.  He's leading them to begin the morning worship.  He sings an invitation that's almost a command.  He says, "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!"  Then he lifts his arms and shouts to the people, "Hallelujah!" ("Let us praise Jehovah!") Then, with his arms still toward heaven, he continues, "Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation!"  And he adds, "Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." 

He's so eager to praise the Lord that he very much wants the people to do it too.  From his heart he sings, "For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods - in His hand are the deep places of he earth; the heights of the hills are His also; the sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land!"  It's obvious to the psalmist that God the Creator and Ruler of the Universe is WORTHY to be praised with shouts, singing, and overflowing joy!

This brings him to an emotional explosion, and he bows down, probably even prostrating himself, and sings, "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.  For He is our GOD, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand!"

Then, as he thinks a little more, he knows he just has to sing out a warning.  He tells the people not to be like those who rebelled in the wilderness by refusing to go into the promised land.  To them the Lord had to say, "they go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.  So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest!'

The point he's making in this psalm is not only that God is to be praised to the utmost, but that He is also to be believed and obeyed. His words here should remind us of the exhortation of the writer to the Hebrews when he says, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb. 3:12, 13)

Oh how we, too, need to check our hearts.  We need to find in ourselves that absolutely necessary combination of joyful, shouting worship - AND - believing, trusting obedience - all manifested by deeds.  Do you and your brothers and sisters in Christ "exhort one another daily (to do these things), while it is called today?"  And where do YOU stand in such a heart-check?

11.55p.m.

Hello Pastor Al.

I was struck by the similarity of this Psalm and Psalm 139.....Both of them speak of" depths".
It seems so important that we praise God in all things....and that we listen for His voice, even the smallest whisper.  It is so easy to get waylaid.

I noticed  the Psalmist says "IF you hear His voice"....Yes truly His voice is crowded out by so many things in life... We have a choice...to take time to be still and wait upon Him or to ignore the promptings of His Spirit at our own peril.
We cannot hide from God.He knows our heart conditions (see Ps 139:v8 and v 23 )...

My next port of call Pastor is Psalm 139 a great favourite...Have you done that one?.....I will pop along later.

Thanks again.
Jenny.

Oh Father, grant to Jenny - and I - and everyone else who comes here - that we may have ears to hear Your Voice in all the ways in which it comes to us. Through our Lord.

4.30 p.m.

Pastor.  To confirm.  I got all get up about something this morning...Suddenly the Lord stopped me in my tracks and I was praying quietly....I SAW the answer.....If I hadn't been still I wouldn't have "heard"...
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD..................

Yesterday, today forever, Jesus is the same.
All may change but Jesus never.
Glory to His Name...

Praising Him "Joyfully"...

I love this Section Pastor Al....
Jenny.